Debate sparked by Monterey wharf restaurant's rules for kids

MONTEREY &GT;&GT; American humorist Robert Benchley once said there are two classes of train travel — with and without children.

The old-fashioned jest embodies different opinions being strongly voiced about a restaurant on Monterey's tourist-attractive Fisherman's Wharf with strict rules about dining with small children — a seemingly timeless source of debate.

The sign behind the hostess station at Old Fisherman's Grotto says no strollers, high chairs or booster chairs are allowed inside. The smaller print goes on to say that noisy, crying or loud children aren't welcome in the dining room.

Though the rules are a few years old at the wharf eatery, they sparked outcry this week after television station KSBW of Salinas did a story Tuesday, which was picked up by other news outlets across the country.

Owner Chris Shake said he has been overwhelmed by interview requests from the United States and Canada. On Thursday, he released "a national press release to clarify the situation."

The restaurant's rules don't ban children, the release said, but "simply asks that parents monitor their children's behavior so they are not a distraction to other diners."

Shake said the signs advising patrons of the rule have been in place for three years. "We have never had an issue with the policy or signs," Shake said.

Comments on social media about the widely distributed story were split.

Defenders of what could be called the "children should be seen and not heard" policy applauded the restaurant. One mother said she loves a break from children while dining. Another commenter said a restaurant owner should be able to create "a certain atmosphere for himself and his patrons."

One critic said it seemed "kinda Grinchy" for a family-friendly, tourist area. Another ruled out ever patronizing the Old Fisherman's Grotto. A "mom of four" said she was fine with it, but said restaurants also need to ban adults using cellphones or talking and laughing loudly.

The issue isn't new in the restaurant industry.

A Wednesday story on the Yahoo Lifestyle Network noted the "Stroller Turf Wars" in recent years in trendy parts of Brooklyn, and the media attention garnered by a sushi restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, that opened last year and required patrons to be at least 18.

"It comes up from time to time across the country," said Angie Pappas, spokeswoman for the California Restaurant Association.

"We usually come down on the side of operator choice," Pappas said. "I'm sure there are plenty of restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf that are happy to pick up the business" that could be turned away.

At Abalonetti's Bar and Grill, a few doors down from the Grotto, managing partner Kevin Phillips said the sign struck some people as being offensive and odd for a "family-friendly" area like the wharf.

"I get unruly adults, too," Phillips said. "They can be much more difficult to deal with. Most people are fine, and most kids are fine."

A manager at another restaurant, who refused to give his name, said some of his customers today were kids who dined there 25 years ago and now are bringing their own children.

Pappas of the restaurant association said she wasn't making comparisons with children, but restaurants can get caught in the media spotlight when they come down against other things, such as dogs in patio areas or cellphones in dining rooms.

"Not every restaurant is for everybody," she said.

Shake said the Old Fisherman's Grotto first adopted its no-stroller policy five years ago for the safety of staff and guests in the small dining area. The children's policy was enacted in 2011 to provide a quiet atmosphere. He said families with children are welcome and are served every day.

With this week's spate of media attention, Shake said restaurant sales and reservations were up. Most phone calls and emails expressing opinions were supportive, he said.

"The restaurant has received over 100 phone calls and only five were against the policy," he said.

The owners of a San Francisco restaurant called #9 Fisherman's Grotto reported receiving angry calls and emails from people who apparently confused it with the Monterey restaurant, Bay City News Service reported Thursday.

Monterey City Attorney Christine Davi said she wasn't aware of any calls to the city about the issue. The city, which leases space to wharf businesses, would have jurisdiction over the size and style of signs outside the restaurant but not its children's policy, she said.